Dealing with sluggish web is a irritating expertise, particularly when you’re gaming with mates, streaming a present or making an attempt to do business from home. When I began experiencing sluggish Wi-Fi at dwelling, though I used to be paying for 1 gigabit speeds, I knew that there needed to be one thing I may do about it. Sometimes you possibly can blame your web supplier or improve your router, however in different circumstances, there may very well be minor points that may very well be simply resolved in a number of easy steps. As somebody who writes about broadband day by day, I’ve realized the worth of a superb web connection and that troubleshooting your speeds does not must be sophisticated. Here’s what I discovered. Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content material and lab-based evaluations. Add CNET as a most popular Google supply on Chrome. I used to be on Verizon Fios’ second-fastest plan, however was nonetheless getting insufferably sluggish speeds. Tharon Green/CNET’Enough is sufficient’The crimson flags are there for a purpose, so do not ignore them: the buffering, the sluggish downloads and the interrupted Zoom calls. I would not often have paid consideration to those indicators, since I had by no means had an issue with my web earlier than. A strong web connection has develop into important since I began working from dwelling in 2024. My household and I additionally seen that streaming our favourite exhibits, like the most recent season of Squid Game, had develop into a ache as a result of our fluctuating speeds. I lastly gave in, stated sufficient is sufficient and contacted my web service supplier, Verizon Fios. The Fios agent was shocked that I used to be experiencing web points since I used to be on the corporate’s second-fastest tier, the gigabit plan.”You shouldn’t even be experiencing fluctuating speeds with your plan,” the Verizon Fios agent stated over the cellphone. I used to be stumped. I did not need to make a hasty determination switching out my present supplier or shopping for a brand new router. So I turned to CNET’s recommendation for assist. What is gigabit web?Your web velocity is measured in megabits per second. In different phrases, your velocity is measured by how a lot knowledge may be processed over a community in a second. Gigabit web refers to 1,000 megabits. The extra knowledge processed over your community, the higher your connection performs. Top suppliers that provide gigabit web Show extra (5 objects)
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As of June 2024, knowledge from the Federal Communications Commission present that over half of the US inhabitants has entry to gigabit speeds. Service usually ranges anyplace between $50 to $90 month-to-month. You can discover gigabit service from web suppliers akin to Frontier Fiber, Google Fiber, Optimum, Verizon Fios, AT&T and extra. Though cable suppliers like Spectrum and Astound Broadband’s gigabit plans are extra extensively out there nationwide than different ISPs, however is perhaps pricier down the road. You may find yourself paying double your preliminary worth after a yr, since most cable suppliers are infamous for mountaineering up their costs after a yr.Depending on the connection sort out there at your handle, most fiber ISPs like AT&T and Google Fiber will not enhance your costs after a yr and might supply symmetrical obtain and add speeds of 1,000Mbps, whereas a cable connection could solely prime out at 35 to 50Mbps. To be taught extra about the place you possibly can join gigabit service, learn our evaluation on gigabit web and the very best fiber web suppliers for July 2025. 4 professional tricks to increase your internetAt the beginning of this journey, I felt like a child using their first bike. It felt daunting as a result of I did not know the place to start out. Thankfully, one in all our pages particulars easy methods to increase your Wi-Fi connection in 4 easy steps. Here’s the way it went. 1. Take a velocity take a look at These speeds have been properly under what I anticipated from my gigabit connection. Something was mistaken. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETBefore you do the rest, conduct an web velocity take a look at. I selected Ookla’s velocity take a look at as a result of that is the format I’m most conversant in. CNET recommends Ookla for its consistency, and it additionally exhibits you your velocity take a look at historical past when you create an account. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the identical mum or dad firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)This step was pretty straightforward. I performed a number of velocity assessments on-line. The picture above is a take a look at I took close to my workspace. Speeds of 248 to 275Mbps aren’t dangerous, being on a gigabit plan supported by a fiber connection makes them shocking (and disappointing). I took it a step additional and went to an space of my dwelling the place we skilled probably the most web bother. I discovered a big velocity drop once I ran a velocity take a look at in my basement. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETI keep away from working within the basement most days as a result of the web is inconsistent. After conducting a velocity take a look at, I discovered our velocity dipped to 76Mbps in downloads and 19Mbps in uploads. This space is the farthest from my router, so it solely is sensible that the sign is weaker. According to the FCC, the minimal mark for broadband speeds is 100Mbps obtain and 20Mbps add. My speeds have been lacking that mark. It must be famous that Ookla shouldn’t be the one velocity take a look at you possibly can attempt. Just not too long ago, CNET broadband professional Cierra Noffke examined out the Orb web velocity take a look at. Noffke writes that it does not simply take a look at your obtain and add speeds. Orb, which was developed by the identical creators of Ookla, measures the general well being of your private home community utilizing a number of metrics and steady velocity assessments. On the opposite hand, in case your family makes use of principally streaming companies, Fast.com is a strong choice, because it measures your web’s capability to stream Netflix. M-Lab can be on the prime of my listing, because it has an easy-to-use program. You can at all times hold it easy as properly by turning to assets out of your supplier. My supplier (and lots of different ISPs) additionally gives its personal Verizon Fios velocity take a look at. 2. Move your router or your workspaceThis subsequent step requires you to experiment a bit together with your router’s location or your workspace. It wasn’t straightforward to uproot my total workspace, so I moved my router nearer to my present workspace space as a substitute. This step wasn’t a big change as a result of the router was already positioned throughout the room from my workspace. You ought to ideally transfer your router to a central location. Using an Ethernet cable is perhaps useful, particularly if the brand new location of your router is much from the modem. In any case, transferring your router too removed from the modem may show troublesome. You can attempt to elevate your router as a substitute and mount it to the wall, if potential. That means, you need not soar by all these hoops to put in an Ethernet cable. 3. Add a Wi-Fi extender If transferring your router shouldn’t be an choice, attempt contacting your web supplier for extra tools. After contacting my ISP, I found {that a} Fios Wi-Fi extender got here with my plan at no further value to my month-to-month service invoice. The extender got here with a small information, and at first look, it appeared fairly easy.Obtaining tools out of your ISP shouldn’t be the one choice — many Wi-Fi extenders at the moment in the marketplace assist Wi-Fi 6. CNET beforehand named the TP-Link RE605X as the highest decide for the very best Wi-Fi extender as a result of its affordability and easy-to-use controls. Note: TP-Link routers may very well be banned someday this yr as a result of a current authorities investigation. That stated, the following neatest thing is the Linksys RE7310, at the moment priced at $80, which tied in efficiency with the TP-Link RE605X after we examined them. Check out our different prime picks for the very best Wi-Fi Extenders.Pair your extender to the router The extender got here with a coax cable, a coax splitter and a small set-up information that outlined 4 steps: affirm the web connection, plug it in, pair it and at last transfer the extender to a delegated spot in your house. Seems easy sufficient, proper? I went by the primary three steps with out operating into any points. I paired my extender to my router utilizing the coax cable.Placing your extenderThings took a flip with the ultimate step. After pairing, I unplugged my extender and moved it to the basement, the place the sign was weaker. The gentle from the extender wasn’t the strong white it ought to have been. Instead, it was a yellow shade, which means the extender was disconnected from the router. Solving this drawback took a while as I went again by the set-up information and coated my bases once more. During this course of, I additionally found Verizon Fios’ full Wi-Fi extender set-up information on-line. Some ISPs supply prospects the choice of self-installation. Here are among the prime web suppliers nationwide which have how-to pages and guides devoted to putting in gadgets that increase your web: The full set-up information talked about an Ethernet cable, however I used to be not supplied one, so I questioned if that prevented my extender from connecting to the router. I contacted Verizon Fios to verify I used to be not lacking any components. Per our dialog, Verizon Fios confirmed that an Ethernet cable is advisable however not essential. The coax cable works simply as properly. Ethernet gives a wired connection by cables, which you’ll be able to plug instantly into the router, and may present quicker speeds than Wi-Fi. CNET’s personal Hallie Seltzer examined this at her dwelling. After pairing, place your extender in an space not too removed from the router. Trisha Jandoc/CNETI determined to pivot my strategy and positioned the extender a bit nearer to the router, close to my workspace. After a couple of minutes, I noticed a strong white shade — the signal of success.4. Prioritize your visitors Manage your work visitors at dwelling by tweaking your router settings. Trisha Jandoc/CNETAfter putting in the extender, my web speeds surged, making this step optionally available for me. If you can’t acquire a Wi-Fi extender, you possibly can attempt managing how a lot bandwidth your family consumes by your router settings. For occasion, Verizon Fios permits prospects to arrange parental controls, which might eradicate entry to sure web sites. Other routers may even schedule entry to the community for sure gadgets. This course of will look completely different relying in your web supplier and your tools. How a lot velocity do you want on your dwelling? High-speed web could also be engaging, however you could not even want it. According to OpenVault’s first quarter 2024 report, over a 3rd of Americans use the web at gigabit speeds, a 20% enhance from 2023. In addition, its fourth quarter 2024 report exhibits that the common American family makes use of 569Mbps in downstream speeds and 32Mbps in upstream. In different phrases, when you can entry gigabit speeds, it must be a lot quick on your family. Finding the proper velocity may also boil right down to your family’s actions. Check out our velocity suggestions under. Our velocity recommendations1Mbps: Sending emails 5 to 10Mbps: Web shopping 10Mbps: Using social media 10 to 20Mbps (or 35Mbps in 4K): Streaming in HD 25 to 35Mbps: Online gamingFor extra info, learn our complete web velocity information. Why you won’t be seeing the speeds you are paying for Even if you’re in your supplier’s quickest plan, there isn’t a assure you will note the precise speeds promised. What’s marketed by your ISP might not be the precise speeds you get. Many situations can influence your web speeds. According to AT&T’s web site, sure supplies, dense partitions and even furnishings can hinder your Wi-Fi sign. Other widespread components contributing to a weaker sign embrace outdated tools, poor router settings, dangerous climate and excessive circumstances like hacking or malware. In addition, discovering the proper Wi-Fi band on your router or investing in a community swap may also assist optimize your web connection at dwelling. To make sure you’re taking advantage of your web, learn our guides on easy methods to weatherproof your web and safe your connection from hackers. My important takeaways Speeds in my basement elevated after putting in the extender. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETOnce I efficiently put in my extender, I performed one other velocity take a look at in my basement and I noticed a surge in my web connection, coming in at 598Mbps in obtain and 187Mbps in add. What I found about optimizing my speeds at homeRouter and Wi-Fi extender placement are key. The location of your router and extender is instantly proportional to optimizing your speeds. Give it a number of tries and place your extender in numerous areas of your private home. Ensure you do not place the extender too far or near the router. Conduct a collection of velocity assessments after each step, monitoring any modifications in your web connection. Seek out self-installation guides. Many ISPs, together with AT&T, Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, supply complete self-installation guides on-line for gadgets that increase your sign. Don’t hesitate to hunt them out. Consider shopping for a Wi-Fi extender. While your ISP may advocate utilizing its tools, many Wi-Fi extenders assist Wi-Fi 6 and may do the trick. Check out our prime picks for the very best Wi-Fi extenders. A coax cable works simply in addition to an ethernet cable. Your ISP may advocate an Ethernet cable for pairing your extender to the router, however a coax cable additionally works. When unsure, contact your ISP for assist and talk about your choices. You may also attempt negotiating together with your ISP, which is perhaps finest when you’re seeking to improve your plan.What’s the underside line? Since finishing this experiment, I’ve seen a drastic change in my web connection. My household and I can stream our exhibits with out issues and my Zoom calls are operating extra easily than ever. I outlined 4 steps on this web page, however you may must do a number of further steps to make sure you cowl all of your bases. Fixing your web does not must be advanced. This is my first time experimenting with this, and I’ve found a brand new consolation stage with my web connection and the way it works. Our CNET professional ideas to assist increase your web speeds define the 4 steps I cowl on this web page: Conduct a number of web velocity assessments, transfer your workspace or router, get a Wi-Fi extender (or improve your router) and prioritize your work visitors. It’s value noting that many components — akin to sure supplies, dense partitions and even furnishings — can have an effect on your web connection. You can spend money on an extender or mesh system to optimize your connection. You may attempt experimenting with completely different Wi-Fi bands or investing in a good-quality community swap. You can contact your supplier to discover your choices if all else fails. Ookla’s velocity take a look at is understood for its consistency and accuracy. Unlike different velocity assessments, Ookla means that you can entry your velocity take a look at historical past whenever you create an account. In addition, Android and iOS customers can conduct velocity assessments from their cell gadgets. The FCC states that the minimal benchmark for broadband is 100 megabits per second in obtain and 3Mbps in add. OpenVault’s first quarter report of 2024 exhibits that over a 3rd of Americans use the web at gigabit speeds. Moreover, the pattern exhibits a 20% enhance from the earlier yr. In addition, its newest first quarter 2025 report highlights that the common American family makes use of 564Mbps downstream and 34Mbps upstream. In different phrases, in case your family can entry gigabit speeds, that must be a lot sufficient. Having quicker speeds than that is perhaps overkill for the common dwelling. Different family actions require completely different web speeds. For instance, CNET recommends speeds of 25 to 35Mbps for on-line gaming and a minimum of 35Mbps if you wish to stream in 4K. To be taught extra, take a look at our web velocity information for extra info.
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